Engine-coolieta- system



| P. BARLOW ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM March 25, 1930.

Original Filed Au 5, 1926 I N VEN TOR:

ATTORNEY.

Reissued Mar. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES I Re. 17,627

PATENT OFFICE V LESTER P. BARLOW, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN ENGINE-COOLINGSYSTEM Original No. 1,632,581, dated June 14, 1927, Serial No. 127,257,filed August 5, 1926. Application for reissue filed March 18, 1929.

This invention relates to vapor cooling systems for internal combustionengines and more particularly those employed on automobiles, trucks, andother motor vehicles.

One object of my invention is to deliver to the jacket of the enginecylinders on starting the engine only enough liquid to fill the jacketto a predetermined level above the cylinders and then cease the flow ofliquid to the jacket until the liquid therein reaches the boiling point,thereby allowing the engine to be warmed up quickly regardless of theoutside atmospheric temperature in which the engine is started.

Another object of my invention is to antomatically supply cooling liquidto the cylinder jacket in exact proportions to the amounts of liquidgoing off as steam from the surface of the liquid body in the acket gofrom time to time during the steaming operation, and thus automaticallymaintain a substantially constant liquid level above the cylinders toprevent either flooding the jacket to stop the steaming operation or theboiling away of the liquid body to overheat the cylinders.

A further object of my invention is to supply the cooling liquid to thecylinder acket through a standpipe or chamber having a so by-pass at theheight of the liquid level for the jacket, so as to regulate said levelin the jacket yet allow for a continuous and uninterrupted circulationof liquid through the chamber to supply the jacket without any of as theexcess liquids passing therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling system whichwill be open continuously to the atmosphere so that it will operate atall times at atmospheric pressure.

A further object of my invention is to so position the supply andreserve tank of the system that it may be readily reached for fillingand so that the level of the cooling liquid therein will be below thelevel of the i5 cylinder jacket.

A still further object of my invention is to locate this tank under theapron along the running board at the side of the car and utilize a placenot heretofore generally used for this purpose.

Serial No. 348,101.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafterdescribed andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view (more or lessdiagrammatic) of an automotive power plant assembly equipped with avapor cooling system constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the supply and reserve tank of the system locatedbeneath the apron of the running-board at one side of the car.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of construction to be hereinafterdescribed.

In Figure 1, 1 indicates the cylinder block of an internalcombustio'nengine, and 2 the "head clamped on top of the block over theupper ends of the engine cylinders 3 there- 1n, as usual in motorvehicle engine designs. Block 1 is provided with the usual chamber 4about the engine cylinder so as to receive the cooling liquids, aswater, as heretofore, said chamber defining the water jacket about thecylinder, as usual- The head 2 has a vapor collecting space or steamdome 5 ex tending above the head and in direct communication at alltimes at its lower end with the upper end of the chamber 4 so as toreceive the steam rising from the body of the liquid in the chamber whenbrought to the boiling temperature from the heat of the explosions inthe cylinders during the operation of the engine.

The dome 5 is connected with a header or chamber 6 at the upper end of acooler or condenser 7 by a conduit 8. The condenser may take the form ofan automobile radiator with water tubes and air passages so as to fit inwith thepresent automobile designs. The lower portion of the condenser 7is provided with a condensate collecting header or chamber 9, which isconnected by a down wardly extending conduit 10 with a manifold 11arranged below the condenser, as shown in Figure 1, so thatany-condensate which reaches chamber 9 is at once drained from it. Themanifold 11is connected by a conduit 12 with the intake of a pump 13,also located below the level of the lower end of condenser supply andthus compensate for natural losses through leakage and evaporation.

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the water level a in the dome 5 and is coni nected at that level by anoutlet or overflow pipe or conduit 16 with a supply tank or reservoir 17located below the level of the lower end of condenser 7 as shown. Asupply conduit 18 connects the standpipe 14 with the discharge outlet ofthe pump 13, so that said pump when in operation deliversliquid to thestandpipe and through the same supplies liquid'to the jacket 4 to thelevel a therein.

The tank or reservoir 17 is connected with the manifold 11 on the intakeside of the pump by a conduit 19 so as to supply make up water to thesystem and permit the liquids to circulate through the standpipe 14 andits intake and overflow conduits 18 and 16 without passing through thecylinder acket and the dome. The tank 17 has a capacity to con tain allthe liquid required for the system and 'sufiicient in addition toconstitute a reserve Said tank- 17 has a filling neck 20, the closurecap of which has a vent opening 21 to the at Another vent 22 to theatmosphere is provided for the condenser 7 at its lower-condensatecollecting chamber 9, said vent having its opening from chamber 9 abovethe level of the liquid in'the supplytank 17, as shown. To balance thepressure in the dome 5 and in the regulating cham ber 14, I provide. aconnection between them by a pipe 28, as shown inF-igure 1.

a As shown in Figure 1, the tubes 23,23,01? the condenser 7 arevertically disposed and connect the upper steamreceiving chamber 6 withthe lower condensate collecting chamber'9, These tubes are spaced apartso that air flowingthrough the condenser from front X to. rear willcontact with the tubes to cool v them and cause the steam passingdownward through the tubes to be condensed and returned to liquid formto the system through the condensate collecting chamber 9. A fan Onfirst placing the system inoperation,

the tank or reservoir 17 is completely filled .with cooling liquidthrough the neck 20 to the v level indicated by the dotted line b. Asthe tankis so located as to extend above the pump 1' 3 and manifold 11,these two elements as well as the conduits 12 and 19 and the portions ofthe conduits and 18 below the level 5 are filled with liquid, thuspriming all of the parts and not delaying their filling on starting theengine. supplied to supply tank or reservoir 17 will overflow neck sothat the liquid in tank 17 and in conduit 19, manifold 11 and conduits12 and 10 cannot rise above the level indicated by dotted line I) andcannot reach condensate collecting chamber 9 and, of course, cannotclose the inner end of vent 22 which is thus at all times open to theoutside atmosgphere. Being thus at all times open to the outsideatmosphere by vent 22 the pressure in the condenser portion of thecooling system, cannot exceed or be lower than atmostern will also becontinuously maintained at atmospheric pressure, vent 21 on supply tank17 aiding in maintaining the supply portion of the system at atmosphericpressure.

The cooling system is thus open continuously to the atmosphere andoperates throughout both on the condenser side and on the supply side atall times at the pressure of the outside atmosphere.

On first starting the motor or engine, the :ump' 13 draws liquid fromthe tank 17 and delivers it to the jacket chamber 4 through the conduit18 and standpipe 14. The pump fills the jacket chamber 4 toapproximately the level indicated by a, whereupon the flow to the jacketceases, 'due to the fact that the overflow pipe 16 is connected with theupper end of the standpipe 14, at the height of the level a. The pumpcontinues to operate and by the bypass 16 circulates the excess liquidback through the tank without passing through the jacket, and thusmaking no change in the levela. From the fact that the flow of liquid tothe jacket ceases when level a has been reached, the engine is allowedto warm up rapidly and bring the liquid in the jacket to the boilingpoint in a relatively short period of time and thus quickly raise thewalls of the engine cylinders to the desired economical operatingtemperature, regardless of load condi ions on the engine or the outsideatmospheric temperature.

hen the liquid in the jacket 4 reaches boiling or steaming temperature,steam rises from the level a of the liquid in the jacket and flows tothe condenser 7 through the outlet conduit 8. The level a in the jacketis being constantly lowered to a slight extent 1y portions of the liquidbody in the jacket going ofi" steam from the heat furnished by theexplosions in the cylinders, thereby al lowing the pump to constantlysupply liquid Any excess of liquid 20, from the exterior of the car.

to the jacket through the standpipe l t to make up or compensate for theamounts going off as steam. As the bypass or overflow conduit 16 opensinto the standpipe 14 in the plane of the level a in the jacket, itfollows that no more make-up liquid will be supplied to the jacket 4than enough to compensate for the amounts going olf as steam in thejacket. Thus the amounts of liquid supplied to the jacket from time totime during the boiling of the liquid in the jacket will be in directproportion to the amounts of liquid going off as steam in the jacket.This is an important feature of my invention because not enough of thecooler liquid is supplied to the jacket at any time during the steamingoperation to interfere with or hinder the same, thereby maintaining thecylinder walls of the engine at a substantially constant operatingtemperature regardless of load and atmospheric temperature conditions.Vhile considerably more amounts of the liquid about the engine cylinderswill be converted into steam from time to time during the operation ofthe engine under heavier loads than under lighter loads, yet the amountof cooler liquid supplied to the jacket under a heavier load from timeto time will not be suflicient to so hinder the steaming action in thejacket as to materially reduce the operating temperature of the cylinderwalls. I

Steam entering the chamber 6 at the top of the condenser 7 will beforced downward through the tubes 23, 23, by the pressure in the dome 5.The tubes being cooled by the circulation of air against them, willcause the steam therein to be condensed therein, the condensate flowingby gravity to the lower chamber 9. From there, the condensate liquidwill flow downward into the manifold 11 through the conduit 10, and thusbe collected to be taken up by the pump 13 and be returned to the systemfor resupplying the acket with liquid in proportion to the amounts goingofl as steam therein.

I prefer, when my improved system is used with automobiles, to place thesupply and reserve tank 17 in a position where it may be readily reachedfor filling through the neck In Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, I haveshown the tank 17 located in the space between the apron 25 and therunning-board 26 at one side of the car and the adjacent side member 27of the frame or chassis of the machine. The tank 17 has its filling neck20 extended upward through an opening in the apron 25 so that'it may bereachedfor filling'thc tank from the outside of the car. To avoid theuse of unduly long conduits 16 and 19 between the tank and theassociated parts of the system I prefer to position the tank toward thefront end of the car, as shown in Figure 2.

While I have shown in Figure 1 the over flow conduit 16 as connectingthe standpipe 14; directly with the tank v17, I may arrange thisoverflow pipe 16 so as to connect the upper end of the stand pipe at thewater level a with the intake'side of the pump 13, as shown in Figure 4.Thi'sarrangement shortens the distance of flow from the standpipe 1a tothe intake of the pump, which may be desired in some installations.Moreover, by this arrangement the return flow from the standpipe 14 tothe pump is not through the supply tank 17 to disturb or heat the sameas with the assembly shown in Figure 1.

While I have shown and described the standpipe 1 1 as made separate fromthe cylinder block 1, it could be formed integral with periods of time,as practically all steam generated in the jacket is condensed andreturned to the system. On stopping the motor steam will continue untilthe temperature of the cylinder walls drops below the boiling point ofthe liquid used. The pump 13 being idle, no liquid will be supplied tothe jacket to make-up for the amounts going off as steam. The level awill naturally lower, it being raised, however, to the height requiredon the first starting of the engine.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts may be variouslychanged and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

I claim as my invention 1. In an internal combustion engine vaporcooling system which is open continuously to the atmosphere and whichoperates at all times at atmospheric pressure the combination with acylinder jacket having a steam space above the same, of means providinga circuit whereby a cooling liquid may be continuously circulatedwithout passing through said jacket, and means included in said circuitand connected withsaid acket whereby a predetermined liquid level may bemaintained in the jacket by supplying liquid thereto from the circuit indirect proportion to the amounts going oflfas steam in the jacket.

2. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and which operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket having asteam space above the same, of means providing a circuit whereby acooling liquid may be con tinuously circulated without passing throughsaid jacket, sa-idcircuit including a liquid level regulating chamberfor the acket and through which the circuit enters the acket,sai'd'chamber having its outlet to the circuit at the height of theliquidlevel for thejacket in: orderto maintain'such level bysupplyingliquid to the jacket from the circuit in direct proportion to theamounts going off as steam in the jacket.

3. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and which operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket having asteam space above the same, of means providing a circuit whereby acooling liquid maybe continuouslycirculated without passing through saidjacket, said circuit including; a liquid level regulating chamber forthe jacket and through which the circuit enters the jacket, said chamberhaving its outlet to the circuit at the height of the liquid level forthe jacket in order to maintain such level by supplying liquid to thejacket from the circuit in direct proportion to the amounts going off assteam in the jacket, and a supply and reserve reservoir in constantcommunication with said circuit.

4. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and which operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket having asteam space above thefsame, of means providing a circuit whereby acooling liquid may be continuously circulated without passing, throughsaid jacket, a liquid level regulating chamber for thejacket and aforcing pump in said circuit with the latter entering the jacket throughsaid chamber, a reservoir in the circuit, said chamber having its inletsand outlets connected with the discharge of the pump and with thereservoir, respectively, the outlet of said chamber being at the heightof the liquid level for the jacket in order to maintain said level bysupplyingliquid to the jacket from the circuit in direct proportion tothe amounts passing oil as steam in the jacket.

5. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere andwhich operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, thercombination with a, cylinder. jacket having asteam space above the same, of means provldmg a circuitwhereby a coolingliquidmay be continuously circulated without passing through the jacket,said circuit including a liquid level regulating chamber for the jacketand connected with the intake thereat, said chamber having its outlet tothe circuit at the height of the liquid level for the jacket in order tomaintain such level "by supplying liquid to the jacket from the circuitindirect proportion to the amounts going ofi as steam in the jacket, anda condenser'connecte-d at its upper end with the steam space and at itslower end with thereturn side only of said circuit for supplyingcondensate thereto.

6. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and which operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket having asteam space above the same, of means providing a circuit wherebyacooling liquid may be con tinuously circulated without passing throughsaid jacket, said circuit including a standpipe arranged outside of thejacket and through which standpipe the circuit enters the jacket forsupplying liquid thereto, said standpipe having inlet and ,outletopenings included in the circuit with the outlet opening at the heightof the liquid level for the jacket. i

7. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and which operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket havinga-steam space above the same, of means providing a circuit whereby acooling liquid may be continuously circulated without passing throughsaid jacket, said circuit including a standpipe arranged outside of thejacket and connected at its lower end with the intake of the jacket forsupplying liquid thereto, said standpipe having inlet and outletopenings included in the circuit with the outlet openings at the heightof the liquid level for the acket, and

a condenser connected at its upper end with the steam space and at itslower end with the return side only of the circuit for supplyingcondensate thereto.

' 8. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and which operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket having asteam space above the same, of means providing a circuit whereby acooling liquid may be con tinuously circulated without passing throughthe jacket, said circuit including a chamber connected with the intakeof the jacket for supplying liquid. thereto, said chamber havin g itsoutlet to the circuit at theheight of the liquid level for the jacket inorder to maintain such level by supplying liquid, to the jacket from thecircuit in direct proportion to the amounts going oil as steam in thejacket, a condenser connected at its upper end with the steam space andat its lower end with the return side only of said circuit for supplyingcondensate thereto, and a pressure balancing connection between thechamber and said steam space.

9. In a cooling system for internal combustion engines, the combinationwith a cylinder jacket, of means providing a circuit whereby a coolingliquid is circulated without passing 'through said jacket, means tomaintain the cooling liquid at a predetermined level in the jacket, anda ventfor said system, said vent eing continuously open to theatmosphere wliereb the system operates at all times at atmosphericpressure.

10. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and WlllCh operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket having asteam space above the same, of means providing a circuit whereby coolingliquids may be continuously circulated without passing through saidjacket, said circuit including a chamber connected with the intake ofthe jacket for supplying liquids thereto, and a supply and reservereservoir connected with said circuit for supplying liquids thereto,said chamber having its outlet for liquids connected with the reservoirand disposed at the height of the liquid level to be maintained in thejacket.

11. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is opencontinuously to the atmosphere and which operates at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket having asteam space above the same, of means providing a circuit whereby coolingliquids may be continuously circulated without passing through saidjacket, said circuit including a chamber connected with the intake ofthe jacket for supplying liquids thereto, a supply and reserve reservoirconnected with the circuit for supplying liquids thereto, and acondenser connected with said steam space and the return side,respectively, of the circuit for supplying condensate thereto, saidchamber having its outlet for liquids connected with the reservoir anddisposed at the height of the liquid level to be maintained in thejacket.

12. In an internal combustion engine vapor cooling system which is openContinu ously to the atmosphere and operating at all times atatmospheric pressure, the combination with a cylinder jacket, of meansfor supplying cooling liquid to said jacket compr sing means forcirculating the cooling liquid without passing through said jacket, andmeans for so controlling the admission of liquid from said circuit tothe jacket as to maintain the cooling liquid in the jacket at apredetermined level.

13. In a cooling system for internal combustion engines, a cylinderjacket having a steam space above it, a condenser connected .at itsupper end with said steam space and extending downward, a liquid forcingmeans below the level of the lower end of the condenser having itsintake connected therewith, a vent open to the atmosphere leading fromthe lower portion of the condenser, a supply tank for cooling liquidconnected with the intake of the liquid forcing means, a liquid levelregulatin chamber in communication with the cylin er jacket connectedwith the delivery side of the liquid forcing means and having near itsupper end an overflow open ing in communicationwith the supply tank, thesupply tank being so located with refer-' ence to the cylinder jacketand the liquid forcing means that the overflow from the liquid levelregulating chamber will flow by gravity to the supply tank and from thesupply tank to the intake of the liquid forcing means.

14. In a cooling system for internal combustion engines comprising acylinder acket having a steam space above it, a circuit for supplyingliquid to the cylinder jacket, said circuit including therein a liquidforcing means, and a liquid level regulating means connected with theintake of the cylinder jacket, a reservoir for the cooling liquid incommunication with the liquid level regulating means and so arrangedthat liquid will flow downward from the liquid level regulating means tosaid reservoir, a condenser con nected at its upper end with the steamspace above the cylinder jacket and having its lower portion incommunication with the intake of the liquid forcing means and with thereservoir, a vent open to the atmosphere leading from the lower portionof the condenser and means for maintaining the level of the liquidbetween the lower end of the condenser and the intake of the liquidforcing means below the level at which said vent is in communicationwith the condenser.

15. In a cooling system for internal combustion engines comprising acylinder jacket having a steam space above it, a circuit for supplyingcooling liquid to the cylinder jacket, including therein a pump, aliquid level regulating chamber in communication with the pump and withthe intake of the cylinder jacket and a reservoir below the level of theintake of the cylinder jacket in communicationwith the liquid levelregulating chamber, and a condenser in communication at its upper endwith the steam space above the cylinder jacket and having its lowerportion in communication with the intake of the pump and with thereservoir, a vent open to the atmosphere leading from the lower portionof the condenser and a vent in the reservoir open to the atmosphere at alevel below the level at which the vent leading from the lower portionof the condenser is in communication with the condenser.

16. In a cooling system for internal combustion engines comprisingacylinder jacket having a steam space above it, a circuit for supplyingliquid to the cylinder jacket including therein a pump, a liquid levelregulating chamber in communication with the intake of the cylinderjacket and with the pump, a reservoir for the cooling liquid below thelevel of the intake of the cylinder jacket in communication with theliquid level regulating chamber and with the pump, a

vent inthe reservoir open to the atmosphere, a condenser incommunication at its upper end with the steamespaceabove the cylinderjacket and in communication at its lower end with the intake of the pumpand with the reservoir, and a vent open to the atmosphere leading fromthelower portion of the condenser at a level above that of the vent ofthe reservoir.

17. In a cooling system for internal combustion engines comprising acylinder jacket having a steam space above it, a circuit for" supplyingliqui'd'to the cylinder jacket ineluding therein a pump, a liquid levelregulating chamber in communication with the in: take of the cylinder jacket and with the pump, a reservoir for the cooling liquid below thelevel of the intake of the cylinder jacket incommunication with theliquid level regulating chamber and with the pump, a vent in thereservoir open to the atmosphere, a condenser in communication at itsupper end with the steam space above the cylinder jacket and incommunication at its lower end with the intake of the pump and with thereservoir, and a vent'open to the atmosphere leading from the-lowerportion of the condenser at a level above that of the vent of thereservoir, and means providing open communication between the liquidlevel regulating chamber and the steam space above the cylinder jacket.LESTER P. BARLOW.

